Page 14

Assholes, the lot of them.

“Look, Haze doesn’t usually give a fuck about women for more than a night, so you obviously mean something to him. Just roll with it,” Bones says, playing his shot and sinking the last ball. They both put their cues away before coming to stand in front of me.

“Just roll with it? That’s your advice?” I smirk.

He cradles my jaw with his strong hand. “Yes, Lu. That’s my advice. You’re his, and that holds weight here. I think before you walked through those doors, he was just living but not feeling anything. He was numb. You’ve changed something in him.”

I swallow, his words hitting me right in the gut.

His eyes twinkle suggestively as he lowers his voice and whispers in my ear, “I should have fucked you before he laid the claim.”

Then he swaggers away.

And I’m wet again.

Skull sits next to me, studying me. Ora told me her trick of telling them apart is one little curl of hair that Bones has on his forehead. It’s cute. Today, Skull has a black bandana on, too, containing his hair, while Bones’ is wildly free. If that doesn’t sum the two of them up, I don’t know what does.

“I should finish up in the kitchen,” I say, breaking the comfortable silence. We’re doing a charity event next weekend, and Ora and I will be doing all the catering for it.

“You work hard,” he muses.

“I do. I need to train. That usually gets my energy out, but I haven’t gone to the gym since I moved in here,” I admit.

“Why don’t you use our gym?” he suggests, standing up and offering me his hand. “I’ll train with you. You do Muay Thai, right? Same as Haze.”

“Yeah. He still trains?” I ask, surprised.

Skull nods, leading me down the hallway and out to the gym with a weight section and a big ring in the middle. “Yeah, he does. He taught a lot of us what he’s learned along the way too. When he’s not playing his guitar, he’s in here a fair bit, punching the shit out of one of the bags.” He pauses, smirking. “Or out of one of the brothers.”

This is the most Skull has ever spoken to me, and it’s the first time he’s ever touched me. He lets go to throw me a pair of gloves.

He pulls off his cut and T-shirt, leaving him in a pair of slightly loose jeans. And his body—he has no visible tattoos, just rippling muscles, at least I think that until he turns around, where the big Serpents’ emblem is covering his back. “Come on then, show me what you got.”

I don’t know how I’m meant to concentrate with him in nothing but jeans and bare feet, a six-pack, and a sexy V staring right at me. I pull off my oversized T-shirt, leaving me in my leggings and sports bra.

Skull puts some gloves on and brings his arms into guard, making his biceps bulge, and spreads his feet into the correct stance.

Fucking hell, he’s incredible.

“You hit me, I’ll just block,” he murmurs, stretching his neck from side to side.

With a grin, I come at him with a few jabs and crosses, and when I throw in a right kick, he blocks it with his gloves. He’s quick. I don’t know why I didn’t figure out that I’d find some good sparring partners here, but my stay here just became much more enjoyable.

An hour later, I’m sweaty and exhausted. When I hear whistling, I turn around to see Bones, Lore, and Danger watching us. I was so in the zone I didn’t even notice them.

“Why is it always the little ones who know how to fight?” Bones asks, his mouth open.

“Who knew you were so badass,” Lore calls across the gym, leaning back against one of the boxing bags with his arms crossed over his broad chest, a lopsided grin playing on his lips. “Next time a woman gets in my face, I’m calling you to protect me.”

“I’m not going to be your personal security guard, Lore.” I smirk, sliding through the ropes and jumping down from the ring. “You should be more selective where you put your dick.”

He laughs, his violet eyes crinkling at the corners. “Ah, come now, Cupcake, don’t be like that. You can protect my virtue like my own warrior princess.”

“That was hot,” Bones adds, giving me a slow once-over. He shares a look with his twin. “Haze is one lucky motherfucker.”

I roll my eyes.

“You need me to hold pads again, you know where to find me,” Skull says, lifting his chin at me before grabbing a towel, along with his shirt and cut, and leaving the gym. I watch his back muscles flex as he leaves, his tattoo staring at me.